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Energy is suitable for irrigation and the amount of irrigated land
area is falling because of soil erosion, salination, acidifica-
World energy demands could double in 20 years. Oil demand tion, and nutrient depletion.
is projected to grow nearly 40 percent from 2006 to 2030
(Millennium Project, 2008a). By 2020, 30 percent of arable land may be salinated and
as much as 50 percent by 2050 (Foresight, 2009a).Genetic
Biodiversity and scientific modification of food is likely to be necessary,
for human and animal consumption, and for biofuel produc-
Changes in land-use are affecting biodiversity. Activities in- tion
clude draining wetlands, clearing forests and infrastructure
expansion (OECD, 2003; Millennium Project, 2008b). Cli- The Environment & Population
mate change is also having an effect. The loss of biodiversity
and renewable natural resources reduces stability and re- At any level of development, human impact on the envi-
silience, and leads to fragmentation, species loss, and the ronment is a function of population size, per capita
loss of ecosystem quality. All are vital for economic growth consumption and the environmental damage caused by
and human well-being. the technology used to produce what is consumed. People
in developed countries have the greatest impact on the
Food Security global environment. The 20 per cent of the world's people
living in the highest income countries are responsible
Massive population growth, rising incomes and growing for 86 per cent of total private consumption compared
consumption are driving the demand for food. Food produc- with the poorest 20 per cent, who account for a mere 1.3
tion has increased substantially over the past century sus- per cent.
tained by increasing yields due to irrigation, fertiliser use
and expansion into new lands. But there has been little con- As living standards are rising in developing countries, the
sideration of food energy efficiency or the ability to environmental consequences of population growth will be
minimise the loss of energy from food during the harvest- amplified with ever-increasing numbers of people aspiring,
ing, processing, consuming and recycling stages (UNEP, justifiably, to "live better." Rather than assign blame in the
2009). debate over environmental challenges, both current and
new consumers need to realize and address the conse-
Over the past ten years, however, the production of cere- quences of their levels of consumption.
als has stabilised and the establishment of fisheries de-
clined, due to lack of investment. This is despite the need The difficulty in facing these questions is that the answers
for an estimated 50 percent increase in current food pro- are neither simple nor complete. The most obvious envi-
duction levels by 2013 to keep up with demand (Millennium
Project, 2008a).

The effects of population growth, climate change, land
degradation, crop and cropland losses to non-food produc-
tion, water scarcity, desertification, resource-depleting sub-
sistence strategies and urban expansion means food pro-
duction could be as much as 25 percent less than demand
by 2050 (UNEP, 2009).

Subsequently, world food prices, which recently reached
crisis level, are expected to increase by a further 30 to 50
percent. Agriculture accounts for 70 percent of human use
of fresh water. However, less than half of the world's land

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PR COMMUNICATION AGE February 2016 23

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